DeWitt denied Gillett closure

The DeWitt School District’s petition to close Gillett Elementary failed late Tuesday morning. If approved, the campus would have closed after the 2012-2013 school year.

The Arkansas State Board of Education denied the proposal with a 5-2 vote. It also encouraged the district to communicate further with the Arkansas Department of Education on its financial concerns as well as with the community to find creative ways it can solve its financial issues while keeping the satellite campus open.

“I have a very hard time voting to close a school that’s a high-performing school,” school board member Sam Ledbetter of Little Rock said, adding that he also did not want to put the DeWitt district in financial stress.

The DeWitt School Board originally approved to close the elementary school in early June, although it had to go before the state since it did not receive a unanimous vote.

According to the district, the proposed closure would save at least $241,000 annually. In July, DeWitt Superintendent Gary Wayman said it was based on revenue and expenditures. The school district has revenue listed as $557,232 based on the estimated enrollment of 78 students, foundation money and extra isolated funds.

In expenses, the campus spends $591,221.77 in salaries for 16 employees, matching retirement and social security as well as an additional $87,772.82 for a year’s average of basic utilities.

If approved, the 74 Gillett elementary students from Kindergarten through fifth grade, along with teachers and staff, would have been transferred to the 480-student DeWitt Elementary School.

Gillett Mayor Jared Holzhauer also said the community’s residents have pledged about $60,000 annually in donations offset some of the cost. Both Wayman and Holzhauer said the Gillett students score higher on state and national tests — scoring at the 95th percentile or higher statewide on benchmark tests in the past two years, ranking fifth statewide in 2011 and 21 in 2012. DeWitt elementary students score higher than average, and Wayman said combining operations would benefit students and the district’s bottom line.

The DeWitt School District has 1,270 students. It includes students from the surrounding communities of St. Charles, Humphrey and Gillett through consolidation of Arkansas County’s southern district public schools. The St. Charles School District was consolidated with the DeWitt School District effective July 1, 1985, while Gillett and Humphrey Schools were both consolidated on July 1, 2004, after the districts fell below the state required 350 student population.

The Humphrey Elementary School and Gillett High School remained open after the consolidation, however, both were closed starting the 2009-2010 school year. Gillett Elementary School is now the only satellite campus that remains open.

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